[RUDAW.NET] Peshmerga forces recaptured on Wednesday swaths of territory west of Kirkuk that were in Islamic State...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling
Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not
reallyMoslems....
control.
With the help of US-coalition
... a thick stew of Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds, and probably Antarcticans, all of them mutually hostile most of the time...
as well as six villages.
"The Peshmerga military operation has been widely implemented and so far they managed to defuse five planted landmines," Abdulrahman said.
The news hound added, "Garra Heights is considered a very critical area, and if they manage to control it they will be able to control 25 other villages. Peshmerga have planned to control some 30 km."
"So far, there are no festivities with the ISIS murderous Moslems, and the coalition
Bapir Sheikh Wasani, commander of Peshmerga 2nd brigade, told Rudaw: "There are many planted mines in the nine villages. We expect a confrontation and we are well prepared to fight and announce victory in the coming hours."
ISIS members involved in the offensive took to social media to amass support and ask for prayers.
"Prayers for your brothers in Kirkuk. There is a massive bombardment," read one Tweet, by Abu Talha Ansari.
The military operation is considered the third phase launched by Peshmerga in the region. Coalition warplanes have been targeting the ISIS strongholds for many days.